In July 1807, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte celebrated the signing of the Treaties of Tilsit by hosting a grand rabbit hunt for his military officers and diplomats. His Chief of Staff, Alexandre Berthier, was tasked with organizing the event and procured several hundred—some sources claim up to three thousand—rabbits for the occasion. However, Berthier made a critical mistake: instead of sourcing wild hares, he purchased tame, farm-raised domestic rabbits.
On the day of the hunt, the rabbits were placed in cages along the edge of a grassy field. When the cages were thrown open, Napoleon and his entourage expected the animals to scatter in terror, offering easy sport. Instead, the domestic rabbits, having been raised by humans, associated people with feeding time.
Rather than running away, the entire horde surged forward toward the Emperor in a relentless fur-covered wave. Napoleon was quickly swarmed by thousands of bunnies bounding up his legs, climbing his coat, and overwhelming his staff. Armed with riding crops and whips, Napoleon's marshals tried in vain to repel the fluff-filled assault, but the sheer numbers proved insurmountable.
The conqueror of Europe was forced to make a hasty retreat to his carriage, with rabbits pursuing him right up to the carriage door.